


Caught (In the Rain)

by kiminseong



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 21:12:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17087819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiminseong/pseuds/kiminseong
Summary: Jisung didn't mean to run late for class on his first day, and he definitely didn't mean to run into Changbin, but he can't say he is upset that he did either of those things.





	Caught (In the Rain)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [4racha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/4racha/gifts).



> I really hope that my recipient enjoys the fic as well as anyone else reading! I had fun writing it, and I am really happy I got to write for you! Have a happy holidays and make sure to be safe and stay warm!

_The bus couldn’t be moving slower,_ Jisung groaned internally as the bus dragged itself to yet another incredibly slow stop. He wouldn’t have been any faster on his own two legs, he knew that, but the speed of the vehicle made him weary. Yet the familiarity of the campus was comforting. It was a new year with all new classes and all new people, but his first class in this new year just happens to be much earlier than he would prefer. Checking the time on his phone, he was getting closer and closer to being late to class. Luckily, he knew exactly where he was going, he just wasn’t quite ready to be there yet. 

Bouncing with anticipation, Jisung managed to get in the way of the students attempting to leave the bus nearly every time it stopped. By no means was the bus packed, in fact, there was sitting room here and there, but Jisung was too antsy to sit. 

With each new and unfamiliar face that boards, Jisung knows he is getting closer to his destination. He has just over five minutes to get there, and he knows that at least one of those minutes will be spent waiting to get off at a stop he can see from where the bus is now.  __

The very  _ idea  _ of him making it to his next class on time is dreadful because it is on the third floor of a four story building and there is only so much time left. He knows he is the next stop, but he can see time ticking down in front of him as he hold his phone out, looking back and forth between it, the bus driver, and the building. The beginning of every new school year was scary. New teachers, new peers, new classes, new schedule. It was a recipe for disaster, especially in regards to Jisung’s reputation of being late. 

The bus pulled to its final incredibly slow stop,  and finally, Jisung was going to be able to get off. He bounced out with anxiety bubbling in his chest. His first class was with a professor he never had before, too, so it made him that much more nervous. They could turn out to be nice, but it  _ was  _ the first day of school, and Jisung  _ was  _ only in his second year. His fears were rational.

Not yet running, Jisung was walking hurriedly across the crosswalk, making sure to check for passing cars. Once across, he was too worried about not making it in time to not start running. He had roughly three minutes before he needed to be in the classroom, and although he knew that it was more than likely the teacher would understand, this is his first day, his first time meeting the professor. He hated leaving a bad impression. 

Once his feet moved from blacktop to concrete, his feet took off in a full run. Backpack bouncing vigorously, he ran as fast as the wind (and his legs) allowed. He did his best to dodge those in front of him, which was fairly easy because so few people were actually awake yet. The sky was still tinted orange, but Jisung didn't want to focus on how early in the day it is. No, he wants to focus on  _ just making it to class.  _

**_BAM!_ ** Jisung ran straight into another boy on his bike. Right in front of the building, in front of the bike rack, the two were collapsed on one another, Jisung now mounting the bike sideways and the other boy underneath both Jisung and the bike. Quickly, Jisung lifted himself from the bike and picked his backpack up out of the mess of papers and binders that had fallen from the other boy’s backpack.

“Oh my god,” Jisung assessed the damage, hurrying to help the boy up. He fidgeted with the bike before deciding that his scattered papers were more important, “I am so sorry,” Jisung apologized. He wanted to say more, but he was so shocked and felt such a sudden rush of pain that he couldn’t. “Are you okay?” he tried saying, not being able to think of anything better. 

The other boy, now standing, only glared at Jisung as he collected his things. Bending down to help him, Jisung messily piled papers and placed them haphazardly into a binder sitting near them. “Thanks,” the boy muttered. 

Once both were standing and the papers had been cleaned from the ground, Jisung noticed that the boy, although about his age or slightly older than him in appearance, was shorter than him. His voice was deep and quiet, Jisung noticed, too. “I am really sorry, again, I can’t believe I—” Jisung was cut off by the other boy’s deep, whiny voice. 

“Don’t apologize,” he said quickly trying to avoid eye contact. Then he was walking away, chaining his bike to the rack in front of them, and ignoring Jisung completely. 

“You aren’t hurt?” Jisung asked, still worried. He followed him as he spoke, wanting to make sure there were no injuries that the boy might lie about. If that was the case, Jisung wouldn’t hesitate to get the boy help. 

“You aren’t late?” Jisung was taken aback at his harsh words. They stung a little, he had to admit. They were just three words from a mere stranger, but something about the response made Jisung’s usual smile drag. 

Frowning, Jisung replied, “I guess I am… I am really sorry, though,” he sauntered into the building, nearly forgetting that he was already late for class. His feet felt swollen and sore as they carried his body up two flights of stairs to make it to his first class of the day. Granted he only had three today, he didn’t know how he was going to manage making it to all of them with his usual peppy attitude. 

The classroom was a normal size, thankfully. Many college classes were in full, auditorium sized rooms, but he  _ needed  _ the smaller environments to be able to behave appropriately. It wasn’t that Jisung  _ acted out  _ in his classes, but he struggled with maintaining a constant appropriate behavior. 

It was an understatement to say that Jisung enjoyed talking. He loved talking, but he couldn’t use that as an excuse as to why he does unnecessary things in class like talking to others when he gets bored or when the original topic is derailed. 

Once in class, Jisung managed to get by with a “Don’t let it happen again,” which he was fairly satisfied with, especially after the accident outside of the building. He was only minutes late, but apparently everyone was better prepared than he was. 

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

After his first class, Jisung was excited. He hadn’t seen any familiar faces, which was odd, but bearable. He was excited to meet new people and have new classes. He recognized the importance of the moments people made in college. He had thought high school was amazing, that there was no experience that could top it, but college, so far, has proved him wrong. Maybe it was just being a music major, but Jisung swore there was nothing better than college and the memories he made there.

Walking down the same steps he came up, he realized that he still had an hour before his next class. It wasn’t enough time to go home, but it was too much time to start heading there, as the music department was relatively close. He considered going to eat, but it was too early for lunch, he could do that after his next class. He would probably end up getting food anyway, maybe a snack that he could eat. This would be good time to do work he had just gotten or would do last minute, he noted. 

He left the building through the same door he had entered, seeing that same bike rack and 

that same boy was at that same bike rack, getting on that same bike he had before. This, he could do with his time, Jisung realized. 

“Hi!” Jisung beamed, his usual smile broke out across his face to greet the boy again. Jisung thought it would be impossible to walk with a pep in his step like he normally would, but he didn’t know why he thought he wouldn’t be able to. More than anything, he wanted to explain to the boy that he  _ was  _ really sorry. 

The short, dark-haired boy looked up. He had sharp features, a sharp jawline coming to a point at his chin. He had round glasses sitting on the top of his long nose. They were perfect circles, black frames. Jisung thought he looked cute in them. Jisung thought a lot of things were cute, though. “Hm?” he hummed, barely loud enough for Jisung to hear. 

He was obviously getting ready to get on his bike and take off again, so Jisung hoped he wasn’t in too much of a hurry. It was strange, seeing the boy up close again, yet not under the same pressure and in the same awkward circumstance as he was last time. He noticed more about the boy. The way he held himself, smiled, looked down when he was walking or even when he was standing still. Jisung didn’t know enough about him and definitely hasn’t seen him enough to know much about him, but he seemed shy, maybe awkward. 

He tended to fold in on himself and avoid contact, even with the person he was talking directly to, something Jisung  _ had  _ noticed the first time he talked to him. “I’m Jisung,” he wasn’t sure where he was going with what he was saying, but an introduction never hurt anyone, right? “I was the one that...ran into you…” he trailed off, a worried, more uncertain smile replaced his wide one. 

“I know,” a quiet voice assured, and Jisung smiled again. 

“I figured I would just apologize properly, now that I’m not running late to a class or anything,” the boy across from him nodded when he spoke, like he was taking in some sort of important information. 

There was a brief moment before the boy across from him realized that Jisung expected him to have had something to say by now, “Oh,” he let out upon  _ that  _ realization, “You really are fine, you don’t have to apologize. I understand.” 

Jisung bit his bottom lip, but not hard enough to hurt it. He did this on the rare occasions he decided to put thought into what he was getting ready to say, “You were right, though, I was running late.” 

“How late?” 

“Only a minute or two,” Jisung assured, hoping the boy wasn’t actually worried about something like that. Jisung didn’t know that he had ever met a person concerned in that sort of way before. As much as it was kind, it was a selfless kindness. 

“Ah,” the other boy let out, then grew quiet once more.

Jisung wasn’t sure of how to keep the conversation going, but he knew he wanted to, “Are you heading to another class right now?” 

“I was going to head to my next class in thirty minutes, why?” the smaller asked. His lips were a little pouty, but not as if it was on purpose. He seemed to be naturally pouty, if not solemn. Jisung thought this was another cute thing, but, again, Jisung found a lot of things cute.

“I was just wondering since I don’t have another class for an hour,” he explained happily, looking around them at the bustling campus life. There wasn’t much they could do accept for maybe get food. Everything else seemed too far away or unreasonable to do with so little time. 

The other boy smiled slightly, the first time Jisung had seen him do that, “I was going to go to the fountain and wait there. Pass time by listening to music or something?” he seemed uncertain, but Jisung accepted the answer. He must enjoy the peace and quiet. Quite honestly, Jisung could have guessed that, but he didn’t want to assume anything. 

“Mind if I come with?” Jisung asked with a huff as he threw his bag over a shoulder since it had begun to slide. 

The boy shook his head while he spoke, “Not at all.” 

The walk from the building to the large fountain on campus was less than five minutes, so Jisung wasn’t bothered with it. Though awkward, he enjoyed it. He tried to think of ways to start small talk, but all his ideas seemed to fall through because the boy next to him walked with two earbuds in. 

It was once they had made it to the fountain and had just sat down that Jisung realized he still didn’t know the boy’s name. He smiled, tapping the shoulder of the other. He was wearing a dark hoodie, which was acceptable, as the sunlight wasn’t pressing down on them. Jisung was wearing a hoodie, too, but it was much lighter and brighter, pink. 

“Hm?” he hummed, removing one earbud from his ear. 

“Can I get your name?” Jisung asked semi-cautiously. There was no rhyme or reason as to why he was cautious, but something about the other seemed fragile. 

A blush spread across his face, “Changbin, sorry,” he apologized, realizing he hadn’t given his name when Jisung did. 

Jisung only laughed, “You are fine, no need to apologize!” 

After the short interaction, neither of the two said anything to one another, but Jisung silently watched Changbin as he listened to music and focused on some book in his hand. He couldn’t recall meeting someone quite like Changbin. He looked intimidating, almost domineering, but he didn’t behave that way. From the very few interactions Jisung has had with him, he seemed nerdy and meek, but there was more to everyone, Jisung knew. He just didn’t know what kind of more there was to Changbin. 

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

Back in his new dormroom, he had managed to get through all of his classes. Jisung very much liked having classes in the morning and during the day. He had a night class his first year, and not only did he not know why someone would do that to a first year student, but he didn’t know why someone do that to their own self period. Despite that, he understood why he had had it. It was a more advanced choir, not even a required class, that he was willingly apart of. He joined again this year, but the time was changed to much earlier than the usual seven o’clock. 

“Hello, Jisung!” a familiar voice greeted as he heard the old door creak open loudly. “That is going to get really old really fast,” his roommate added. 

Jisung only laughed before greeting him back, “So how was your first day, Hyunjinnie?” 

A smile broke across Hyunjin’s face, and Jisung could tell he was trying to hide something. He had befriended Hyunjin just last year, but he couldn’t believe how well the two had gotten along. Jisung, Hyunjin, and Felix were close friends, with a group chat straight from someone’s nightmares. 

“What happened?” Jisung asked, sitting up on the bed. He was careful to make sure his head didn’t hit the ceiling, but the ones in these dorms seemed taller than the first year dorms he was forced into last year. Though that might have been true, he didn’t remember his last dorm having a ceiling that had the paint peeling and chipping. 

Hyunjin wasn’t quick to answer, in fact, he danced around the answer. He sat down at the desk just below his bed (they both chose to elevate their beds) and played with a pencil sitting on top of it. He still wasn’t finished unpacking completely for some reason, even though he moved in a week ago, and the room was only so big. His feet prodded at a box that was open, kicking the flap closed and then waiting for it to spring back open before he kicked it again. “Nothing really…” he finally decided to answer. 

“Seriously,” Jisung tilted his head, prying, “all that kicking a box for that answer?”

Hyunjin sighed, “I don’t know what to say! It really wasn’t a big deal!” 

“Clearly something happened!” Jisung was  _ too curious  _ for Hyunjin not to spill. 

“Okay, okay,” Hyunjin bit his lip. He got nervous often, especially in public, Jisung had noticed, so he was always thankful that Hyunjin didn’t hesitate too much when opening up to him and Felix. It was really nice, actually. “There is this boy… It is his third year in this dance team and he’s a third year so he is like really good, right?” Hyunjin asked rhetorically. 

Jisung nodded, signalling for him to continue, “Well… He is… He’s just really charismatic and nice to be around already and he asked for my number but didn’t ask for Felix’s, and you know how Felix can get when he’s jealous.”

“Oh, yes I do,” Jisung smiled. He wanted to hear more about the boy though, because he knows that Hyunjin wouldn’t waste his time telling him about how funny Felix’s reaction to the situation was. “Sooo,” Jisung drew the word out for emphasis, “Is said boy…  _ handsome _ ?”

“That might be an understatement,” Hyunjin blushed. 

“Did that just come out of your mouth?!” Jisung shouted in disbelief. It was cute, seeing his best friend react the way he was. He hadn’t known Hyunjin to be able to compliment people so easily, especially not so passionately. 

Hyunjin was blushing again, quick to react to what Jisung had said, “You have to see him!” he defended himself. 

Jisung’s eyes widened, and he laughed, “Do you have a picture?” 

Hyunjin pulled his phone from his pocket, “He gave me his Instagram, too,” he said, focusing on pulling up the mysterious man’s Instagram feed. 

Jisung raised his eyebrows, looking down at the taller boy, “He gave you his  _ Instagram, too _ ?” he said as if it entailed something more than what it actually was. It very well might be, but Jisung had a feeling that it was something about Hyunjin’s dancing ability that had caught the boy’s eye, even if Hyunjin  _ was  _ unrealistically handsome. 

The picture Hyunjin showed Jisung was cute. The man was using a filter, but it was a selfie that  _ did  _ show off nice features. Jisung had to admit, he thought he was cute, but he wanted the biggest reaction from Hyunjin he could get, “He looks okay.”

“ _ Okay? _ ” Hyunjin repeated with both disgust and disbelief. 

“Yeah! He’s okay.” 

“ _ Just  _ okay?” 

“Just okay,” Jisung smiled. 

“Whatever,” Hyunjin pulled his phone away. After a brief moment of neither talking, he spoke up again, looking at Jisung, “How long has it been since you’ve had your eyes checked?” he asked grumpily. 

Jisung couldn’t help but laugh aloud at the question, “Are you serious, Hyunjin?” There was a pause, and apparently he wasn’t going to get answer. “Fine, I admit, he is cute. I just wanted to see how you’d react,” he admitted. Hyunjin looks upset, but Jisung knew he wasn’t really. He always pouted when Jisung did things like this. 

“Well… was it at least the reaction you were looking for?” Hyunjin asked, still pouting.

Jisung thought for a moment, considering  _ how  _ Hyunjin had behaved. “Yeah, pretty much,” he finally decided. 

Hyunjin sighed and turned around in his swivel chair, getting back on his phone. 

“No homework?” Jisung asked from atop his bed, still. 

“It’s the first day,” Hyunjin remarked with distaste, “Do you have homework?”

“No… I was just seeing how long it would be until you  _ left me alone, _ ” Jisung joked cruelly. 

Hyunjin scoffed, “Fine!” He put two earbuds in his ear and leaned back in the chair, doing something on his phone. Jisung continued to scroll through his own phone. He hated being bored. He would be willing to unpack the remainder of Hyunjin’s boxes for him, but he knew Hyunjin wouldn’t let him. Five minutes passed before he noticed his roommate pull one of his earbuds out, “Are you hungry?” he asked as if they hadn’t been jokingly ignoring each other for no apparent reason.

“I could eat.”

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

Friday, a few weeks into school, Jisung had been meeting up and spending his free time after his first class with Changbin. The two had gotten a lot closer, but Changbin still had a tendency to shut the world out when he needed to. Jisung understood, and it didn’t bother him. Now, though, Changbin refrained from pulling his earbuds from his pocket, which was strange for him. Today, he wasn’t shutting the world out, rather he was taking it in. 

Jisung poked his friend on the shoulder, the easiest way to get his attention, “You know I can hear you right now,” Changbin smiled when he poked him. It  _ was  _ silly, completely futile. There was no reason to poke someone if he could hear you, but it had become habitual for Jisung; he couldn’t help it. 

“Yeah… sorry. I was gonna ask you if you forgot your earbuds,” he explained with a warm laugh. The sun was bright today, and Jisung almost regretted wearing a sweatshirt, but it was comfortable and nothing could make him regret it. 

Changbin was silent for a moment as they walked. Recently, they had been going to get something to eat ever since Changbin once asked Jisung if he was hungry and he replied with an affirmative ‘yes.’ Jisung had been skipping breakfast in order to make it to class on time. He tried waking up earlier, but he had a tendency to silence his alarm without noticing, not to mention that the alarm annoyed Hyunjin.

“No, I didn’t,” he said as they reached the street. It wasn’t very busy, not that it ever was, so they were able to cross right away.

Jisung gave him a peculiar face, confused as to why the sudden change if he hadn’t forgotten his earbuds. He didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to be invasive. He still didn’t know everything about Changbin, but he knew that he admired him. The moments they had shared where Changbin spoke about himself were few and far between, and Jisung could nearly recite what Changbin had to say verbatim.

Changbin seemed to notice the face Jisung was making and spoke up, “I left them at my place on purpose.” Evidently, and Changbin seemed to know too, that explanation didn’t clear anything up, “I was thinking we could just talk today.” The more Changbin spoke, the louder his voice grew. It was never loud, but he spoke more casually the longer he allowed himself to speak. Jisung loved listening to him speak. 

Changbin seemed to be a person with a lot to say, but no time to say it. The right words didn’t seem to fall from his lips the way he wanted them to. He had learned that the boy was a literature major, so maybe words came from him through writing much easier than they did through open mouth. 

“That makes sense,” Jisung cheered happily, walking faster at the scent of food. This Friday would only mark the third Friday that Jisung had spent with Changbin, but he was still excited to hang out with him. He didn’t like putting two days between their meeting. Jisung considered asking him to come over, but what would the two do? It would make more sense to ask him to go somewhere  _ outside  _ of the dorms, especially when he didn’t even know if Changbin lived in the dorms or not. 

“With how often you tap me just to talk, it should make a lot of sense,” Changbin smiled wide. It wasn’t rare to see that, not anymore, but there was still something incredibly shocking about it. Despite being used to it, Jisung still noticed how handsome his smile could make him. It was strange that the mere presence of his new friend could make him blush if only he was smiling. “Why are you staring at me?” Changbin’s question interrupted Jisung’s train of thought. 

“I wasn’t?” Jisung looked confused, and now, he was blushing. 

“Ah,” Changbin stopped, blinking, his face tinted pink too, “alright.” 

“I’m sorry,” Jisung confessed. He was smiling now, pressing his hands against his cheeks to make sure that the heat emitting from them was lessening opposed to growing. 

Changbin shook his head, though, “No, it’s okay.” Jisung’s ever-present smile returned to his face upon this reassurance, and the two continued as if nothing had happened. It was hard to believe, especially when he talked to Hyunjin about Changbin, but Jisung didn’t mind when Changbin didn’t say much. In fact, he enjoyed anytime the two spent together. 

Once the two were sat down at a table, Jisung began eating. He didn’t like skipping breakfast, but the first time he was sprinting to class  _ again, _ he wouldn’t forgive himself. The professor wasn’t bothered the first time, but, even as Jisung got a little closer to his professors, he didn’t know if it was a good idea to show up late once more. 

Gracelessly, with food in his mouth, Jisung decided that now was as good a time as any to see if Changbin wanted to do something more than sit around and watch each other eat, “Do you wanna do something this weekend?” he asked. 

Changbin was getting ready to uncap his water bottle before Jisung spoke, so he continued, taking a small sip from it before answering, “Sure,” he responded nonchalauntly. “Where do you want to go?” he asked after a second, letting Jisung swallow the food in his mouth. 

Jisung shrugged, “I didn’t think ahead that far?” he responded, hoping Changbin had some ideas. He didn’t really want to ask the older to spend time at his place, especially considering he didn’t know what  _ his place  _ was or where it was. 

“You didn’t think I’d say yes?” Changbin teased. 

Jisung laughed, “No, it wasn’t that!” he assured him, “I just didn’t think about it.” 

“Ah,” Changbin nodded his head. “Well, we could get breakfast tomorrow?” 

“I planned on eating tomorrow morning, hyung! I told you, I don’t  _ usually  _ skip breakfast!” he whined in complaint but was happy, nonetheless, that Changbin had agreed and decided upon something for the two of them to do. 

“So you don’t want to go?” Changbin was good at teasing Jisung, he noticed. He was also good at falling for it. 

“ _ I do!”  _ he stressed. 

“Okay, then it is on,” he started to sit up, realizing Jisung was finished eating, “I will text you?” 

Jisung nodded, “Yes, thank you!” Changbin left and Jisung watched, since he had a little more freetime than Changbin did. He would take the bus, too, opposed to walking. It wasn’t that he was lazy, at least he wouldn’t say that. He saw the bus as a time saver. He watched as the older boy mounted his bike, putting one earbud in ( _ “for safety,”  _ Changbin told him) and leaving to his next class. He wouldn’t see him again until tomorrow, which was unusual because he never got to talk to Changbin two days in a row. 

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

Jisung stood in front of the mirror, holding up different hoodies to his body, “I wear the pink one all the time, he’ll think I don’t care,” he complained. 

Hyunjin was sitting at his desk, getting the first formal rest he has in a while. Being on a highly competitive dance team, he often overworks himself and doesn’t give himself any freetime, but it is futile to tell him he deserves and needs it. “If you like the pink one, wear the pink one, but the black one looks best on you,” Hyunjin said without looking up. 

This was a serious problem for Jisung and he was upset that Hyunjin wasn’t taking it seriously, “Come on, hyung! Please?” 

“Hyung? You never call me that,” Hyunjin was looking up from his phone now, a look of confusion drawn across his face. Jisung really does enjoy the difference between Hyunjin meeting new people and when he was talking to him. It was like seeing a completely different side of him. “How much does this boy mean to you?” Hyunjin continued when he saw the worried expression Jisung was wearing. 

“ _ A lot, _ ” he emphasized. Jisung didn’t know how to explain it or why he felt that way, but he liked spending time with Changbin, and if this was the start of him spending time with him  _ away from the school _ , he was going to take advantage of it.

Hyunjin seemed to think for a minute, “You don’t have anything else? No  _ actual  _ shirts?” 

Jisung pouted, “It is cold out and most of my shirts I like to wear  _ under  _ a hoodie. 

Biting his lip in thought, Hyunjin stood and looked into Jisung’s closet. “Here,” he was shoving a maroon-colored hoodie in his face, “Wear this, and wear it with your black jeans.” He sat back down before speaking up again, “And  _ not  _ the ones with holes in them,” he said sharply. 

Jisung stood in surprise before he finally nodded an ‘OK’ and continued to get ready just as Hyunjin had instructed. In the end, he looked good. he had just showered and blow dried his hair, so it was nice and fluffy. “Thank you, Hyunjinnie!” he smiled before grabbing his wallet and phone and heading out the door. 

Jisung planned on taking a public commute bus to the little cafe that Changbin had sent him the address to, and he didn’t really see another option, so he walked to the stop that would take him off campus. The cafe was relatively close to campus, though, so that was a plus. He wouldn’t suffer on the bus for long. 

There weren’t many people on the bus, but Jisung still didn’t trust the seats, so he remained standing, only touching the handles at the top when necessary. There were only two stops on campus for this bus, so it didn’t take long for the bus to get off campus. 

The roads were fairly busy this morning, as they were most Saturday mornings that Jisung actually managed to get out of bed for. Most people seemed to be middle aged businessmen and -women in cars, but there were plenty of people walking too, their heads down and their destination known only to them. Jisung liked moments like this, moments where he lost himself amongst the people in the real world, where he realized everyone’s life was just as complex as his. 

The bus stopped where a large supermarket and shopping mall met. Two streets down, the next stop, is where the cafe would be located. Everytime the door opened, Jisung was greeted with cool air, reminding him that it was getting closer and closer to winter as the weeks of autumn drug on. 

Only a few people got on as those needing off at this stop left, so the bus left quickly, making it to Jisung’s stop. One girl in front of him got off with him, but she turned to the opposite side of the street while Jisung continued on. He checked the signs above the shops, as he usually frequented a different shop if he was going to have breakfast somewhere, but Changbin had explained how this shop had a better breakfast food variety. 

The small shop smelled sharp of coffee as soon as one walked in. The scent was undeniably good. There was chatter around the shop here and there, and the atmosphere was welcoming, belonging. Jisung could see its appeal, especially to someone like Changbin. 

Jisung found the other boy after a second of looking around. He was seated in the corner at a tall, two person table. He looked comfortable, like he belonged. It was strange to see him so in his element. He had only gotten to see the boy while eating a sorry excuse for breakfast on campus or at the fountain he liked so much. 

Changbin was nose-deep in a book, but he set it on the table as Jisung approached, “Good morning,” he welcomed the younger, a smile fluttering across his face. Jisung smiled too, taking a seat across from him. “How are you this morning?” he asked. 

“I was a little nervous, to be honest…” Jisung faltered, not knowing what else to say.

Changbin looked confused, “Nervous? Why?” he shook his head, maintaining his smile. He looked less tired than usual, Jisung had to admit. The boy looked like he actually cared about being here opposed to how he looked while on campus. 

“Umm…” Jisung hummed.  _ He  _ wasn’t even sure why he was nervous this morning. He had already made a pretty bad impression on Changbin, and he still wanted to spend time with Jisung, so there couldn’t be much that could go wrong, could there? “I don’t know really,” he admitted. 

Changbin looked at him, tilting his head a little. It reminded Jisung of how a puppy tilts its head when confused, and that made Jisung realize that Changbin is kind of like a puppy. A really smart, reserved puppy. “You are weird,” Changbin said. 

Jisung let his smile grow, “I know.” 

He looked over to the counter where they are supposed to order their own food when they want it. He saw an array of different breakfast sandwiches as well as donuts and muffins. Above all else, though, their advertisements for their assortments of coffee drinks were almost more impressive than the actual assortment of coffee drinks, “Do you want to order?” Changbin caught him staring, “I was waiting for you before I went to order.” 

“Ah, sure,” he replied tentatively, shy due to being caught staring. 

Changbin stood up first, and Jisung followed. He seemed so casual it was almost scary, but it made Jisung feel awkward more than anything. He didn’t know why this was so nerve-wracking to him; he had always loved making new friends and doing things with his friends. This should be a walk in the park, but it suddenly was anything but. 

When it was finally their turn to order, Changbin ordered quickly, some sandwich Jisung wasn’t sure what it was and a coffee, but Jisung didn’t know what he wanted. “Um, caramel iced, cream and sugar,” he decided aloud. 

“Size?” 

“Large!” 

“You don’t want anything to eat?” Changbin asked like he had expected it. Honestly, Jisung wasn’t very hungry. He knew that starting to skip breakfast would make him like this, but he knew that Changbin wouldn't take ‘nothing’ as an answer. 

“...blueberry muffin?” Jisung settled with. The cashier nodded and quickly punched in the order accordingly. Jisung shuffled in his pocket, finding some cash, but he was too late, and Changbin was handing the cashier all the money necessary. 

He blushed, throwing a hand up and hitting Changbin lightly in the shoulder, “I could have paid!” he half-heartedly yelled. He didn’t want to cause a scene, and it was only a joke, anyway. 

“I asked you to come, though,” Changbin moved to the ‘pick-up’ counter. 

“I asked you on the date!” Jisung countered, a beat too late to realize what he said. 

It was Changbin’s turn to grow flushed. “A date?” His composure remained relatively calm, but Jisung could tell he was falling apart. 

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Jisung assured. If it weren’t for the lady at the counter handing them their food, the conversation would have kept going. Instead, Changbin picked up their food and walked it back to the table they were sitting at. 

“Is this a date…?” Changbin asked, sorting the food and drinks between the two. 

Jisung shook his head, “I mean… No?” he replied. 

“Do you want it to be?” Changbin asked upon seeing Jisung’s reluctance to answer. 

“Well, I mean,” Jisung stumbled over his words. 

Changbin leaned his head forward, anticipating, but when Jisung continued to fumble over his words, he spoke up, “It’s okay if you do,” he tried to say calmly, but his cheeks were tinted pink and there was a slight whisper in his voice, like the breath was knocked out of him. 

Jisung’s face grew from bright pink to red, and he could only nod, as if that was a reaction that made sense to what Changbin had just said. “You want it to be?” he asked for clarification. Jisung nodded again. They sat in silence for a minute, Jisung taking a sip from his drink. “So, is this a date?” 

“Only if you want that, too, hyung,” Jisung bit his lip. He didn’t call him ‘hyung’ as often as he should. 

Changbin finished taking a sip from his drink before replying, “I do.”

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

Hyunjin’s dance performance was coming up, and Jisung didn’t really feel like going alone. Jisung knew Hyunjin would stay all day at the school until the actual performance (and even then, the performance was at school), so Jisung wanted to go with someone. He decided to ask Changbin to come with him, and he agreed when he asked, but Jisung thought that this was a sorry excuse for their second time doing something together. The days that followed their “first date” weren’t even awkward, but they ignored it, rather. The two seemed to agree on acting as if nothing happened, which was fine with Jisung, but he wanted to know  _ why  _ he wanted to go on a date with Changbin so badly. He wanted to know why he admitted that to the boy. Changbin probably thought he was just sleep-deprived and confused that morning. Jisung hoped he thought he was a bit off, though he didn’t feel as if he were. 

A knock on Jisung’s door brought him back into reality, and he looked up from the essay on his laptop to answer it. “Hello?” he called through the old wood. 

“It’s Changbin!” he called back, much more lightly than Jisung had yelled. He smiled to himself, opening the door. 

“Welcome!” he threw his hands in the air energetically. “Make yourself at home,” he walked over to his laptop and closed it. Changbin watched him as he moved around, but there wasn’t much to do in the tiny dorm. Still, Jisung had to change before he could leave, so they had to spend some time in the dorm. “You are early,” he looked up at the clock. 

“Only by ten minutes,” Changbin said as if that weren’t more time than what most would expect. When Jisung offered him a face that was surprised to know that Changbin didn’t think ten minutes was early, he spoke up again, “I wanted to give myself time to find your dorm,” he made apparent. 

“Ah!” Jisung understood, the dorms could be tricky. He remembered getting lost his first year, his first time. He was lucky no one saw him wander around like a lost puppy. He tried to change the subject. “Well,” he started, “I need to get changed…” he said a little awkwardly. Changbin looked around the room as if there was going to be somewhere to go so that he couldn’t see. 

“Should I… go to the hallway?” he asked awkwardly. 

“No, no!” Jisung assured, “Uh… you can just… turn around?” 

Changbin nodded, doing as he asked. Jisung already had clothes laying out, so he stripped himself of his pants, first, so that Changbin didn’t have to stare at his underwear. Once his jeans were on and he decided that the rips were laying in the right spots, he pulled his sweatshirt off, and began pulling his other one on when he told Changbin, “You can turn back around now.” He pulled his blue sweatshirt completely over his head. “I’m ready now!” 

“Are we leaving now?” Changbin inquired. There was still an hour before they even had to leave. Surely there was something else to do, but Jisung just didn’t know what. 

He thought for a minute, when his stomach growled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten dinner. “Are you hungry?” he asked. 

Changbin shifted his head, deciding, “I could eat,” he admitted. 

Jisung smiled, picking up his wallet, “I’ll pay this time, okay?” Changbin nodded, and they left. Changbin started walking ahead of Jisung, and he didn’t really know where he was going. He had found out the hard way that taking another way made it easier to get to the bus as quickly as possible. When he saw Changbin pull out a ring of keys from his pocket and a car lit up from across the parking lot, Jisung understood.  _ Of course he could drive, not everyone is as incapable as you, Jisung.  _

“I am sorry about my car,” Changbin began apologizing, “It is a little run-down and kind of a piece of garbage, but it does what it needs to.” 

Jisung shook his head, “Anything is better than the bus,” he promised. 

Changbin smiled a little at that one, and the two got in the car. Jisung didn’t exactly have an idea of where the other wanted to go, and Changbin probably felt the same way. “Anything particular you want?” he asked. They needed to eat quickly and get back to campus, so it was probably for the best that they got fast food.

“Anything quick,” Jisung told him. 

Changbin nodded, “...McDonalds?” 

“Sure!” 

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

The drive through was just as painful as it was when Jisung was a kid. You wait, order, wait, pay, wait, then finally get your food, but you are still stuck in that  _ stupid  _ parking lot and have to stop to eat. 

They decided to take the food back to Jisung’s dorm, just so that they were on campus and closer by the time they needed to leave. The two finished eating quickly, though, and still had a handful of time until the house would even open for people to watch. 

“We could walk there, if you wanted,” Changbin suggested in order to kill time. Jisung liked the sound of it, too, since they had nothing better to do. 

“Sounds good to me!” he exclaimed. He kept his wallet and his phone in his pocket just in case. He locked the door behind him, remembering his key as well, which was another feat for him. They both walked out the door, down the main stairs, and out the front doors. The night air was thin and cool, and Jisung regrets not wearing another layer. He didn’t notice it when they went to grab food, but maybe that was because of being in the warmth of Changbin’s car. 

They didn’t talk for a minute, most likely because neither of them had a great conversation starter. Jisung wished he had more to say when talking to Changbin, but he really couldn’t think of anything. He was thankful when Changbin started speaking, “So, you don’t know how to drive?” 

Jisung shook his head. He wasn’t exactly ashamed of not being able to, but he did wish that he could. It is more of an inconvenience for him, but there is really no one else to blame except for himself. “Nope, I’ve never even gotten my permit,” he admitted. 

Changbin nodded, “It can be tough.” Jisung liked a lot of things about Changbin. He noticed them more and more as he spent time with him, but there was so much to like about him. He so attractive. His eyes sparkled with a curiosity that Jisung had never seen in someone. He was cautious and timid, but lively once you got to know him. His smile pressed the edges of his lips into wrinkles that scrunched in a way that made the viewer smile. And it wasn’t just Changbin’s undeniable attractiveness that caught Jisung’s eye. He was witty and, though quiet, exuberant. His attentiveness and kindness were some of the most simple yet most valued facets he owned. He was shy, though. Incredibly worried, nervous, anxious. He was too good to be broken, but he was already shattered, and Jisung couldn’t sweep up any of the brokeness. But he didn’t want to. It made Changbin who he was. If you break a leg, you don’t get rid of the bone, you mend what you can. 

“Do you ever plan on learning?” Changbin stole Jisung’s attention back to the topic at hand. He felt something cold hit the top of his head, and he had no idea what it was. It was dark out, so he couldn’t tell if it was cloudy enough for it to have been rain. 

“Um,” Jisung was confused at first, looking up at the sky, “Yes? Yeah! Of course, I just need to focus on school work right now,” he explained himself once he looked back toward Changbin. He felt something else hit his nose this time. It was definitely raining. “Do you feel anything?” 

“No,” Changbin shook his head, “Like what?” 

“Rain?” he questioned himself. Maybe it wasn’t raining…

Changbin thought for a minute as they crossed a crosswalk, “No, I don’t think I feel anything.” 

Jisung shrugged, and they continued moving forward. He only felt something hit against his skin once more before they made it to the building they needed to be at. The room was extremely warm compared to the outside. Heat pushed itself inside through vents above their heads, and Jisung was thankful to be inside, just in case it was really going to start raining. 

A sign at the front pointed the two of them down a hall where a large auditorium was. More rows of seats than Jisung had ever seen in his life lined the room. There were several seats hanging above them, as well. The house was by no means full, but the first few rows were completely full. They took seats somewhere in row ‘O’ which were relatively nice.  There were scattered amounts of people in front of them and very few behind them, and the couple decided that if not many more people showed up, they would move up. 

The house filled up quicker the closer to eight o’clock it got. There would be three dance groups performing, according to the program, and each was performing four songs, except for Hyunjin’s team, which was performing five. They were the “elites” and the oldest, most practiced of the teams. Jisung knew that this was Hyunjin’s passion, but he was worried that this was taking a huge toll of his health and time management. He knew Hyunjin was incredibly smart, though. After this, he would be able to finish the things he needed to. 

Jisung hadn’t thought much about it, but he would be able to meet the elusive Minho tonight, as well as see Felix which he is most excited about. He hadn’t seen Felix super recently, which was disappointing, since he loved seeing the boy. 

When it hit time for the show, the house lights quickly dimmed and they were immersed in the show. Jisung would take what chances he could to steal quick glances at Changbin, who seemed to be enjoying the show quite a bit. There were many people on stage that Jisung had never seen or didn’t know, but something that stood out to him especially was the talent even in the younger groups. The performances were undoubtedly jaw-dropping, each person absolutely amazing in their own. Jisung never knew that humans could move their bodies in some of these ways, but he stands corrected. 

When the second group dismissed themselves with a bow, Jisung grew giddy. The boy who Jisung guessed was Minho entered, he was pleasantly surprised with how handsome he was in person. It was completely different than seeing his cute selfies. Jisung understood the natural attraction Hyunjin felt. 

Hyunjin sauntered on stage looking confident, much more so than he did when he casually carried himself. He was the tallest of the six in their group. Jisung didn’t know three of them, but he easily recognized Hyunjin, Felix, and who he is pretty sure is Minho. The program said the other boys’ names, but Jisung didn’t want to avert his attention from Hyunjin. He was so excited to see what they have been working on. He knew what Hyunjin could do, and it was a lot. He was more talented than Jisung could dream of being. 

The group’s movements were sudden, professional. They were clean cut and absolutely beautiful. Without fail, the six moved together as one, even during a solo. It was completely dynamic, all the music and scenery changes. Jisung could tell that the lights definitely had a huge impact on the performance, but without the dancers the stage would be empty, it would be nothing. 

Suddenly, after the fourth song, three of the members exited stage right, the opposite direction they had walked in on. The lights dimmed and the shadows of the three remaining were left. Felix, Minho, and Hyunjin stood, center stage arranged in a triangle each facing outward. They were posed and music filled the large space yet again. Creepy, doll-esque music played throughout the auditorium. 

Hyunjin was the first to move, the others mirroring his movements. When they began to move in unison, the beat dropped and they moved in a way that no group before those three could. It was breathtaking, and Jisung would never admit to the tears he felt in his eyes. The movements seemed automatic, well-practiced, perfect. 

When they formed a line, Minho emerged center. Now, the music was soft, soothing, and most likely intentionally sexy. Each of the three moved perfectly on beat, a unity between the three unlike anything Jisung has seen. 

Felix moved into the center, and the beat changed yet again. Although the sudden powerful music that surrounded them was loud and contrasts the previous sound unlike any other song, the transition was smooth, in terms of dance, and made the finale. Jisung was absolutely blown away, to say the least. He was extremely proud of each of them. He couldn’t wait to congratulate them. 

Changbin turned to look at Jisung, and he almost forgot where he was, “You didn’t tell me that was going to be the best thing I’ve ever seen.” He was smiling, and Jisung didn’t mean to let the tears collected in his eyes fall. 

“I’ve never seen him do something like that,” Jisung wished he sounded more enthusiastic. He wiped his face, choking back the feeling of wanting to cry anymore. 

“Do you want to go see him?” Changbin asked, standing so that the two could get out. 

Jisung nodded, standing with him. They made their way out of the house where dancers from all teams were being swarmed with people. Every one of them was covered in sweat and seemed as if they were too tired to keep standing, but they stood with posture and smiles painted across their faces. Jisung spotted Hyunjin easily, but he seemed to have a crowd of his own. Many girls were part of his crowd, but Jisung noticed people in the back that spoke in whispers to one another. They looked like average, everyday people, but something about them stood out to Jisung. Despite their look, Jisung’s attention was pulled away when Hyunjin’s voice broke across the crowd, “Jisung!” he shouted, “Come here!” 

Hyunjin had an arm outstretched, waving toward him. Jisung grabbed Changbin by the hand and pulled the two of them through the small crowd of people. Once they were face-to-face with Hyunjin, Jisung hugged him, “You did amazing… I don’t even have words, honestly,” he said, a slight stutter nearly coming through. 

Hyunjin smiled, looking over to Changbin, then back to Jisung before speaking, “Thank you. Is this the famous Changbin I hear about?” Hyunjin looked back toward Changbin. Changbin’s face flushed ever so slightly, and Jisung smiled. 

“It is!” Jisung sang, “Isn’t he the cutest!” he lightly pinched Changbin’s cheek, turning it redder than his face actually was. He was never so outwardly expressive with the other, but something about Hyunjin acknowledging how Jisung speaks of him made him want to behave that way. 

Changbin shook his head, “There is nothing special about me.” 

Hyunjin looked over to Jisung before putting a hand to his mouth in order for Jisung to not hear, though he could still hear, “If this boy likes you,” he tilted his head toward Jisung, “There is something  _ extremely  _ special about you,” Hyunjin smiled.

“I suppose that is true,” Changbin acknowledged with a nod. 

“I am right here!” Jisung playfully shouted. 

“We know!” Hyunjin countered without missing a beat. 

The three laughed for a moment before Jisung realized that he couldn’t take up all of Hyunjin’s time, “We can wait outside for you, if you want?” 

“Yeah, that’s cool,” Hyunjin said, “I should be finished in fifteen or thirty?” 

Jisung nodded and made his way to the lobby area of the large building, “Are we just going to wait until he comes out here?” Jisung asked Changbin. 

“We could go outside if you want, I am afraid it is going to get crowded in here soon,” Changbin replied. They sat still for a moment, but when people slowly filtered from meeting the dancers into the lobby. Once people crowded the lobby, likely waiting for other friends and family, the couple stepped outside. 

It was cooler than it was earlier, and rain tapped against the streets and buildings. Jisung was right, it was raining. “Ah,” Changbin sighed, “This is probably why so many people were waiting by the doors. He sauntered toward a streetlight, and Jisung followed. The rain was only beginning to hit them harder. 

Changbin’s hair grew damp on his shoulders, and the light from the lamppost above them shone against the rain collecting on Changbin’s face that made him completely sparkle. Jisung couldn’t help but marvel at him. His eyes couldn’t help but bounce around the edges of his face before they rested on his nose, water running down it and dripping off the tip. Thunder rang out across the sky somewhere behind him, but Jisung didn’t even hear the rain anymore. He didn’t hear anything as he inched closer to Changbin, closing the space between them, synapses unable to fit themselves between the two mouths. Changbin quickly closed the space upon realization, too. 

They fit together beautifully, their lips lining to the other’s. They curves of their smile met one another and as Jisung guided his lips carefully against Changbin’s, he felt the other push back. His hands moved to his face, one of them grabbing a handful of hair and their bodies pressed against each other. It took less than a minute before their clothes were undeniably soaked, and the rain was pounding against their backs. 

Their heads pulled away slowly, each of the two’s minds clouded with disbelief. Jisung couldn’t help but smile shyly, biting his lip. Changbin swallowed as Jisung lowered his hands to sit on Changbin’s shoulders. “It is freezing,” Jisung muttered loud enough for the other to hear. 

“We can go back inside,” Changbin whispered to the younger. 

The two headed quickly for the bathroom where they could at least let their clothes air dry to some extent. They really  _ had  _ to walk here, didn’t they? They were both troubled with that fact. By the time the bathroom door swung open to reveal someone they  _ actually knew,  _ their clothes were no longer dripping with water, but Jisung’s jeans were sticking uncomfortably to his legs. 

Hyunjin stood in the doorway, followed by Minho who had his arms wrapped around Hyunjin. “You did so well, Hyunjinnie,” the older teased. Jisung couldn’t help but stare at the man doting on his friend. 

A small gasp escaped the mouth of Hyunjin as he looked up to see Jisung and Changbin standing there. Jisung could only image the sight they probably were, but he was too focused on what was happening between the other two to mind. “Hyunjinnie?” he questioned the name. 

“Is this Jisung?” Minho asked, no change in his voice. He seemed playful, doting. He was cute, but Jisung has never seen Hyunjin smile like he was around anyone. He didn’t expect what he saw, to say the least. 

Hyunjin’s face grew pink as he tried to answer, “Um, yes.” 

“I know this is Minho,” Jisung tried finding the right words, “But you didn’t tell me you two were dating.” 

Hyunjin’s face heated, changing from pink to red, “We…” he mumbled, at a loss for words. 

“We aren’t,” Minho finished, “But I’m glad  _ you  _ can tell.” 

“Tell what?” Hyunjin asked. 

Minho rolled his eyes, “I like you, stupid!” 

“Hey!” Jisung interjected, “Only I call him stupid! But what is happening?”

Changbin shook his head, “Are you anyone to talk?” 

Hyunjin looked at the two of them, Minho and him equally as confused, “What does that mean?” 

Changbin laughed aloud when Jisung glanced at him. Jisung had never met someone who could turn him several shades of red before he met Changbin, and he was so glad he met someone who could do that. 

“We… We kissed,” Jisung said shyly. 

“You  _ kissed _ ?” Hyunjin asked in surprise. 

Jisung nodded, and Changbin reached out for his hand. Jisung let their fingers intertwine, and, of all the places they could be holding hands, Jisung didn’t really expect it to be the men’s restroom. 

“You really like him, don’t you?” Minho asked aloud suddenly. 

“Yeah,” the two said in unison. 

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

When the four made it back to Hyunjin and Jisung’s dorm, the three were let out, Minho staying put so that he could make it home, “I will see you Monday?” he asked Hyunjin. 

“Monday,” he affirmed. 

Jisung and Changbin watched for a moment, but they soon decided to talk between themselves. “Monday?” Changbin asked jokingly, though it was the truth, it would be Monday that they saw each other again. 

“Monday,” Jisung smiled back at him. Changbin waved goodbye and began to walk toward his car when Jisung suddenly took off after him. “Wait!” he let out. 

Changbin turned around and was met with Jisung’s lips against his. “I really want to go out with you,” Jisung said hurriedly. Changbin’s tongue was quick to falter, small noises escaping him that were incomprehensible. “Have you never been asked out?” Jisung interrupted his flurry of random sounds. 

He shook his head. 

“It’s just a yes or no,” Jisung smiled in defeat. 

“Yes,” Changbin nodded vigorously, “Yes, I want to go out with you.” 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope anyone reading enjoyed! Kudos and comments are by no means required but always appreciated!


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